Can You Hear Me Now?

I had planned to update the blog each day from our trip to Pennsylvania, but the “best laid plans” are just that. Plans. Nice theories. Looks good on paper, not so much in real life.

First of all, who knew it would be difficult to get cel phone service 45 minutes from the Philadelphia airport? Limited cel phone means I can’t use the blackberry as a modem, so that means I’m offline unless I can find Wi-Fi. In Amish country.

Frankly, the entire long weekend zipped by at whippet speed. What do I remember?

• Detroit has an ugly airport
• Karen is a lovely hostess and a wonderful cook.
  
• Eastern Pennsylvania is BEAUTIFUL. I was constantly captivated by all the local flora and fauna.
  
• Old cemeteries hold the same fascination as dog pedigrees and maps. We walked Karen’s dogs to the old cemetery next door to her house and spent a nostalgic hour visiting half-buried grave markers and re-creating their history.
  
• Foxes don’t smell nice.
  
• The Amish have their own romance novels.
  
• Four women who’ve had a bit of wine and are up WAY past their bed-time putting trophies together can get very silly indeed.
  
• Be careful what you wish for; asking your Northwest guests to “please bring some rain” because the race-track is dry guarantees that your match show participants will drown.
  
• There is nothing quite like getting a chance to visit with good friends you rarely get to see.
  
• There is also nothing quite like making new friends and getting to know better people that you’ve only had passing acquaintance with.
  
• Catchers at East Coast race meets call their dogs all through the race.
  
• West Coast line judges find this odd.
  
• Spending an entire day outside in a humid climate does weird things to your hair and leaves YOU not smelling nice.
  
• Sometimes a cold shower is a GREAT thing.
  
• Groin pulls hurt really badly.
  
• Little, tiny flying ants/gnats are NOT in danger of extinction.
  
• Neither are cicadas
  
• Tiercel Whippet from Washington got three ARX points at Sunday’s race. Yay Tiercel!
  
• Tiercel and his mom and sister had to fly home via Houston with Hurricane Gustav on Monday. We are very glad that they had a safe and uneventful flight.
  
• If you miss the sign that says “Delaware Welcomes You”, you will not know you’re in another state.
  
• Minneapolis/St. Paul has a great airport.
  
• There is no place like home!
  
  Many thanks to everyone (especially Karen and her family) for making us feel so welcome. We had a wonderful time!